When the Milwaukee Bucks handed head coaching duties to Taylor Jenkins, they didn't just hire him for his tactical strategy or his locker room management or what have you. Ultimately, what they brought in was a system built on physical, interior dominance. And nobody exemplifies those two qualities in an NBA big man today quite like Jalen Duren does.
According to The Athletic's Sam Amick (subscription required), the Milwaukee Bucks are one of just two teams with serious interest in Duren. To sweeten any potential deal, the Bucks have a veteran center with a strong resume who could potentially fill the hole left by Duren in a deal in Myles Turner. But as of the latest update, Detroit's front office has refused to engage in talks on that front for months.
Jalen Duren would transform the Milwaukee Bucks' frontcourt future
Look back at Jenkins’ best years with the Memphis Grizzlies. His system leaned into bruising double-big lineups anchored by Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams. Adams provided the dirty work by setting screens and devouring offensive glass, which allowed Jackson Jr. to protect the rim and stretch the floor.
So far in Milwaukee, trying to replicate that blueprint with a Myles Turner and Kel'el Ware frontcourt tandem has yielded a pairing that is just not there yet. But with just one move, the Bucks can take this frontcourt over the top.
Turner and Ware are talented, but both inherently lean toward finesse. They love the perimeter, thrive as weak-side shot blockers, and prefer playing out in space. Neither gives Jenkins that terrifying, glass-cleaning muscle that made Adams the engine of his frontcourt identity.
That is precisely why the trade chatter linking Detroit’s Jalen Duren to Milwaukee makes so much tactical sense, especially when you consider that their bigger pieces at the moment just aren't up to par for league physicality yet.
If Jon Horst can pull off a move for Duren, Jenkins’ eyes will light up. At just 22 years old, Duren is a pure, throwback physical force. He doesn't wander out to the 3-point line; he lives in the paint, violently rolls to the rim, and rebounds at an elite rate. He is the closest thing to a young Steven Adams currently available on the market.
Perhaps the best thing about such a trade: it gives the Bucks an avenue to do away with Myles Turner's contract. Fans know that his first season in Milwaukee was a significant step backward from what made him attractive in the first place. Per PBP Stats, the Bucks were a net-minus 6.03 points per 100 possessions with Turner on the floor. In short, Milwaukee was actively worse with their starting center in the game.
And until Duren makes a decision on his future in Detroit, the door is always open.
Jalen Duren to Milwaukee would make sense on a basketball level
Pairing Duren alongside a high-upside, mobile big like Kel'el Ware changes the entire vision for Milwaukee’s frontcourt. Ware would suddenly get the Jaren Jackson Jr. role with another mobile big who is free to roam defensively, cover ground on the perimeter, and hunt for easy help-side blocks without the burden of battling 250-pound centers on the block every single night. Duren would handle the dirty work, clear out the paint, and set the physical tone for the entire team.
If the Bucks want to give Jenkins the exact toolset he needs to make his vision work in the post-Giannis era, bringing in a genuine interior bruiser like Duren is how you truly make him feel at home.
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